Hydraulic dredge.



No. 867,492. I PATENTED OCT. 1, 1907.-

' I G. A. PRAYER.

H-YDRAULIGDREDGE.

APPLIOATIOK' FILED MAY 5, 1905. RENEWED JULY 1, 1907.

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No. 867,492. PATENTED 0013. 1907.

c. A. PRAYER. .HYDRAULIG DREDGE.

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CHARLES A. FRAYER, OF MILWAUKEE,

WISCONSIN, ASSIGNO R TO ALLIS-CHALMERS HYDRAULIC DREDGE.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. FRAYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Dredges, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hydraulic dredges and has for its object the cutting away and elevating of material from river bottoms and like submerged locations, and for conveying away the same to be deposited at some distant point.

The object of the invention is the erosion and eleva tion of the material so that there will be a minimum stirring up of material at the point of erosion and practically all of the eroded material will be taken up by the dredge.

The invention is particularly serviceable in situations where to disturb and stir up the material with the water would be objectionable, as in gold mining.

Referring to the drawings,Figure 1 is a side elevation of the dredge showing the same mounted upon a scow; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the dredge shovel; Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the dredge shovel.

The dredge is shown mounted upon a scow 1 provided with jibs 2, 3. A centrifugal pump is provided upon the scow 1, the same being shown conventionally only. From the suction of the pump 4 extends a pipe 5 which is attached to the pump suction by a universal joint 6. To the other end of the pipe 5 is applied piston rod 7 of a pneumatic or other hoist 81, flexibly hung from the top of the jib 3. Another section of pipe 8 is connected to pipe 5 by universal joint 9. This pipe 8 forms a hollow operating arm. The pipe 5 extends over the edge of the scow 1 and in its lower posi tion rests upon a saddle 10. The pipe 8 is capable of extending down to the bottom of the body of water in which the scow is moored.

The free end of the pipe 8 is formed in a peculiar manner, and herein resides the principal feature of the invention, and this will be hereinafter described. To this free end of the pipe 8 is attached by any convenient means a cable 11 which extends to the outer end of jib 2 over a pulley 12 thereon, thence to the end of jib 3 over a pulley 13 thereon, thence to winding mechanism not shown.

The free end of pipe 8 is more particularly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This free end is termed a shovel 14. The shovel 14 is widened horizontally and is provided at its upper horizontal edge with a guard 15, and at its lower horizontal edge with a cutting edge 16 provided with cutters 17. These cutters 17 consist of individual steel points bolted or otherwise fastened to the cutting edge 16. The rear of the shovel 14 is provided with the usual flange 18 for connection to the pipe 8. Intermediate the cutting edge 16 and the rear of the shovel Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed May 5,1905, Serial No. 258,980. Renewed July 1,

Patented Oct. 1, 1907.

1907. Serial No. 381,740.

14 is provided a water inlet 19 opposite which the shovel is formed with a recess 20 which may or may not extend entirely across the width of the shovel 14. This recess 20 provides a substantially sharp transverse edge 21 within the shovel 14, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear.

In the position shown in Fig. 1, the dredge and op erating mechanism are shown at the beginning of the cutting stroke, pipe 5 resting upon the saddle 10. The weight of the parts hold the pipe 5 in such position until positively actuated by the hoist 81.

, Commencing with the position in Fig. 1, the operation is as follows: Cable 11 begins to wind upon its winding mechanism, and swings the pipe 8 about its universal joint 9 as its center, the cutting edge 16 and cutters 17 embedding in the bank 22 and eroding material therefrom. This material is forced into the shovel and broken up and elevated by the flow of water entering the inlet 19 by the force of the suction created by the centrifugal pump 4. When pipe 8 reaches the limit of motion allowed by the universal joint 9, the cable 11 bythe tension of the winding mechanism will swing both pipes 8, 5, about the universal joint 6 as its center, thus completing the working stroke of the shovel 14. When the shovel 14 has completed said stroke, the hoist 81 which may have been partly set into action by the swinging of the pipes 8, 5, about the universal joint 6, is brought into working action to complete the up-stroke of the pistonrod 7, so as to elevate the ends of the pipes 5, 8, connected by the universal joint 9. The cable 11 during such elevation is held stationary as to its winding mechanism, and the shovel end of the pipe 8 swings on the cable from its point of suspension on the jib 2 to accommodate the said elevation. Such elevation serves to withdraw the shovel from the bank to the position shown in dotted line, Fig. 1. From such dotted line position the shovel is brought into position to commence a new working stroke by swinging the pipe 8 back about the universal joint 9, the pipe 5 remaining stationary until the limit of motion allowed by the joint 9 has been reached. From this point on, pipes 8, 5, will swing about universal joint 6 as a center, the hoist being set into action as required to allow the pipes to descend until the position shown in full lines, Fig. 1 has again been reached. By manipulating from this point, either the scow itself, the jib 2, or the pipe 8, sidewise, or the scow alone forwardly, the shovel will again be in embedded position at the beginning of a new working stroke.

As stated hereinabove, the material taken in by the shovel is broken up by the flow of water entering the inlet 19, such flow being caused by the suction of the centrifugal pump 4. The material is elevated by the same fiow of water and passes with the same through the pump to be delivered thereby at any required point. The breaking up of material by the flow of water is facilitated by the recess in the shovel 14. The material as it enters the shovel will pass solidly therethrough until it passes the transverse edge 21. Passing the same, at one side it will be subjected to the force of the inflowing water while on the other side there will be no support due to the presence of recess 20. The result is that as soon as said material passes the transverse edge 21 it will be broken up by being forced ,towards recess 20 by the water flowing into the inlet 19. 1

As will be noted from Fig. 2, portions of the material [at the sides of the inlet 19 may not be broken off by the flow of water through inlet 19. Such material, however, will be forced to the back of the shovel and will be made to converge by the shape of the shovel at the rear thereof so as to be brought directly in the path of water as it passes from inlet 19 to pipe 8. It will therefore be broken up at this point if it has resisted such action by the force of the inflowing water acting upon it opposite the recess 20 and the transverse edge 21. All the material eroded will therefore be ultimately broken up and carried up the pipe 8 to the centrifugal pump to be delivered as hereinbefore stated.

The pipe 8 may be made extensible in any convenient way if desired or necessary in order to make the same adjustable to various depths of river bottoms. When made extensible, however, it will be necessary to flexibly attach to the submerged end of pipe 8 a strut upon the upper end of which is formed a rack gearing with a pinion fixed upon the scow. By inanipulating the pinion, the strut is raised or lowered and the pipe is telescoped or extended, thus adjusting the depth at which the dredging operation takes pl aee.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the principle of operation of the invention has been described, together with the apparatus which is now considered to represent the best embodiment thereof; but it is desired to be understood that the apparatus shown is merely illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

What I claim is,

1. In a hydraulic dredge, a shovel, a hollow arm there for for conveying away material dug by the shovel, a separate water inlet for the hollow arm, and a recess within the arm opposite the water inlet.

2. In a hydraulic dredge, a suction pipe having an inlet; for solid material, a separate inlet for water, and a recess therein opposite the water inlet.

3. In a hydraulic dredge, a pipe having an inlet for solid material, a separate inlet [or water, and formed opposite the water inlet for breaking up the solid material.

4. in a hydraulic dredge, a shovel comprising a conducting arm, a cutting portion, an inlet to the arm at the cutting portion, a separate intermediate inlet to the arm and structure near the intermediate inlet coacting to break up solid material.

In testimony whereof I uilix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Cll All LES A. FHA YER.

Witnesses .Tonx DAY, .Tr., R. M. STONE. 

